Thisnaturallygavegreatoffence；andbeingperceivedoneday，intheKing’santechamber，bysomeladieswhowerewaitingforanaudience，theyresolvedtopunishhim。Tothenumberoftenortwelve，theyarmedthemselveswithcanesandrods；andsurroundingtheunluckypoet，calleduponthegentlemenpresenttostriphimnaked，thattheymightwreakjustvengeanceuponhim，andlashhimthroughthestreetsofthetown。Someofthelordspresentwereinnowiseloth，andpromisedthemselvesgreatsportfromhispunishment。ButJeandeMeungwasunmovedbytheirthreats，andstoodupcalmlyinthemidstofthem，beggingthemtohearhimfirst，andthen，ifnotsatisfied，theymightdoastheylikedwithhim。Silencebeingrestored，hestooduponachair，andenteredonhisdefence。Heacknowledgedthathewastheauthoroftheobnoxiousverses，butdeniedthattheyborereferencetoallwomankind。Heonlymeanttospeakoftheviciousandabandoned，whereasthosewhomhesawaroundhim，werepatternsofvirtue，loveliness，andmodesty。If，however，anyladypresentthoughtherselfaggrieved，hewouldconsenttobestripped，andshemightlashhimtillherarmswerewearied。Itisadded，thatbythismeansJeanescapedhisflogging，andthatthewrathofthefaironesimmediatelysubsided。Thegentlemenpresentwere，however，ofopinion，thatifeveryladyintheroom，whosecharactercorrespondedwiththeverses，hadtakenhimathisword，thepoetwould，inallprobability，havebeenbeatentodeath。Allhislifelongheevincedagreatanimositytowardsthepriesthood，andhisfamouspoemaboundswithpassagesreflectingupontheiravarice，cruelty，andimmorality。Athisdeathheleftalargebox，filledwithsomeweightymaterial，whichhebequeathedtotheCordeliers，asapeace-offering，fortheabusehehadlavisheduponthem。Ashispracticeofalchymywaswell-known，itwasthoughttheboxwasfilledwithgoldandsilver，andtheCordelierscongratulatedeachotherontheirrichacquisition。Whenitcametobeopened，theyfoundtotheirhorrorthatitwasfilledonlywithslates，scratchedwithhieroglyphicandcabalisticcharacters。Indignantattheinsult，theydeterminedtorefusehimChristianburial，onpretencethathewasasorcerer。Hewas，however，honourablyburiedinParis，thewholecourtattendinghisfuneral。
　　NICHOLASFLAMEL。
　　Thestoryofthisalchymist，ashandeddownbytradition，andenshrinedinthepagesofLengletduFresnoy，isnotalittlemarvellous。HewasbornatPontoiseofapoorbutrespectablefamily，attheendofthethirteenth，orbeginningofthefourteenth，century。
　　Havingnopatrimony，hesetoutforParisatanearlyage，totryhisfortuneasapublicscribe。Hehadreceivedagoodeducation，waswellskilledinthelearnedlanguages，andwasanexcellentpenman。Hesoonprocuredoccupationasaletter-writerandcopyist，andusedtositatthecorneroftheRuedeMarivaux，andpractisehiscalling:buthehardlymadeprofitsenoughtokeepbodyandsoultogether。Tomendhisfortuneshetriedpoetry；butthiswasamorewretchedoccupationstill。Asatranscriberhehadatleastgainedbreadandcheese；buthisrhymeswerenotworthacrust。Hethentriedpaintingwithaslittlesuccess；andasalastresource，begantosearchforthephilosopher’sstone，andtellfortunes。Thiswasahappieridea；hesoonincreasedinsubstance，andhadwherewithaltolivecomfortably。
　　He，therefore，tookuntohimselfhiswifePetronella，andbegantosavemoney；butcontinuedtoalloutwardappearanceaspoorandmiserableasbefore。Inthecourseofafewyears，hebecamedesperatelyaddictedtothestudyofalchymy，andthoughtofnothingbutthephilosopher’sstone，theelixiroflife，andtheuniversalalkahest。Intheyear1257，heboughtbychanceanoldbookfortwoflorins，whichsoonbecamethesolestudyandobjectofhislife。Itwaswrittenwithasteelinstrumentuponthebarkoftrees，andcontainedtwenty-one，orashehimselfalwaysexpressedit，threetimesseven，leaves。ThewritingwasveryelegantandintheLatinlanguage。Eachseventhleafcontainedapictureandnowriting。Onthefirstofthesewasaserpentswallowingrods；onthesecond，acrosswithaserpentcrucified；andonthethird，therepresentationofadesert，inthemidstofwhichwasafountainwithserpentscrawlingfromsidetoside。Itpurportedtobewrittenbynolessapersonagethan“Abraham，patriarch，Jew，prince，philosopher，priest，Levite，andastrologer；“andinvokedcursesuponanyonewhoshouldcasteyesuponit，withoutbeingasacrificerorascribe。NicholasFlamelneverthoughtitextraordinarythatAbrahamshouldhaveknownLatin，andwasconvincedthatthecharactersonhisbookhadbeentracedbythehandsofthatgreatpatriarchhimself。Hewasatfirstafraidtoreadit，afterhebecameawareofthecurseitcontained；buthegotoverthatdifficultybyrecollectingthat，althoughhewasnotasacrificer，hehadpractisedasascribe。Ashereadhewasfilledwithadmiration，andfoundthatitwasaperfecttreatiseuponthetransmutationofmetals。Alltheprocesswasclearlyexplained；thevessels，theretorts，themixtures，andthepropertimesandseasonsfortheexperiment。Butasill-luckwouldhaveit，thepossessionofthephilosopher’sstoneorprimeagentintheworkwaspresupposed。Thiswasadifficultywhichwasnottobegotover。Itwasliketellingastarvingmanhowtocookabeefsteak，insteadofgivinghimthemoneytobuyone。ButNicholasdidnotdespair；andsetaboutstudyingthehieroglyphicsandallegoricalrepresentationswithwhichthebookabounded。HesoonconvincedhimselfthatithadbeenoneofthesacredbooksoftheJews，andthatitwastakenfromthetempleofJerusalemonitsdestructionbyTitus。Theprocessofreasoningbywhichhearrivedatthisconclusionisnotstated。
　　Fromsomeexpressioninthetreatise，helearnedthattheallegoricaldrawingsonthefourthandfifthleaves，enshrinedthesecretofthephilosopher’sstone，withoutwhichallthefineLatinofthedirectionswasutterlyunavailing。HeinvitedallthealchymistsandlearnedmenofParistocomeandexaminethem，buttheyalldepartedaswiseastheycame。NobodycouldmakeanythingeitherofNicholasorhispictures；andsomeevenwentsofarastosaythathisinvaluablebookwasnotworthafarthing。Thiswasnottobeborne；
　　andNicholasresolvedtodiscoverthegreatsecretbyhimself，withouttroublingthephilosophers。Hefoundonthefirstpage，ofthefourthleaf，thepictureofMercury，attackedbyanoldmanresemblingSaturnorTime。Thelatterhadanhourglassonhishead，andinhishandascythe，withwhichheaimedablowatMercury’sfeet。Thereverseoftheleafrepresentedaflowergrowingonamountaintop，shakenrudelybythewind，withabluestalk，redandwhiteblossoms，andleavesofpuregold。Arounditwereagreatnumberofdragonsandgriffins。Onthefirstpageofthefifthleafwasafinegarden，inthemidstofwhichwasarosetreeinfullbloom，supportedagainstthetrunkofagiganticoak。Atthefootofthistherebubbledupafountainofmilk-whitewater，whichformingasmallstream，flowedthroughthegarden，andwasafterwardslostinthesands。OnthesecondpagewasaKing，withaswordinhishand，superintendinganumberofsoldiers，who，inexecutionofhisorders，werekillingagreatmultitudeofyoungchildren，spurningtheprayersandtearsoftheirmothers，whotriedtosavethemfromdestruction。Thebloodofthechildrenwascarefullycollectedbyanotherpartyofsoldiers，andputintoalargevessel，inwhichtwoallegoricalfiguresoftheSunandMoonwerebathingthemselves。
　　Fortwenty-oneyearspoorNicholasweariedhimselfwiththestudyofthesepictures，butstillhecouldmakenothingofthem。HiswifePetronellaatlastpersuadedhimtofindoutsomelearnedRabbi；buttherewasnoRabbiinParislearnedenoughtobeofanyservicetohim。TheJewsmetbutsmallencouragementtofixtheirabodeinFrance，andallthechiefsofthatpeoplewerelocatedinSpain。ToSpainaccordinglyNicholasFlamelrepaired。HelefthisbookinParisforfear，perhaps，thathemightberobbedofitontheroad；andtellinghisneighboursthathewasgoingonapilgrimagetotheshrineofSt。JamesofCompostello，hetrudgedonfoottowardsMadridinsearchofaRabbi。Hewasabsenttwoyearsinthatcountry，andmadehimselfknowntoagreatnumberofJews，descendantsofthosewhohadbeenexpelledfromFranceinthereignofPhilipAugustus。Thebelieversinthephilosopher’sstonegivethefollowingaccountofhisadventures:——TheysaythatatLeonhemadetheacquaintanceofaconvertedJew，namedCauches，averylearnedphysician，towhomheexplainedthetitleandthenatureofhislittlebook。TheDoctorwastransportedwithjoyassoonashehearditnamed，andimmediatelyresolvedtoaccompanyNicholastoParis，thathemighthaveasightofit。Thetwosetouttogether；theDoctoronthewayentertaininghiscompanionwiththehistoryofhisbook，which，ifthegenuinebookhethoughtittobe，fromthedescriptionhehadheardofit，wasinthehandwritingofAbrahamhimself，andhadbeeninthepossessionofpersonagesnolessdistinguishedthanMoses，Joshua，Solomon，andEsdras。Itcontainedallthesecretsofalchymyandofmanyothersciences，andwasthemostvaluablebookthathadeverexistedinthisworld。TheDoctorwashimselfnomeanadept，andNicholasprofitedgreatlybyhisdiscourse，asinthegarbofpoorpilgrimstheywendedtheirwaytoParis，convincedoftheirpowertoturneveryoldshovelinthatcapitalintopuregold。But，unfortunately，whentheyreachedOrleans，theDoctorwastakendangerouslyill。Nicholaswatchedbyhisbedside，andactedthedoublepartofaphysicianandnursetohim；
　　buthediedafterafewdays，lamentingwithhislastbreaththathehadnotlivedlongenoughtoseethepreciousvolume。Nicholasrenderedthelasthonourstohisbody；andwithasorrowfulheart，andnotonesousinhispocket，proceededhometohiswifePetronella。Heimmediatelyrecommencedthestudyofhispictures；butfortwowholeyearshewasasfarfromunderstandingthemasever。Atlast，inthethirdyear，aglimmeroflightstoleoverhisunderstanding。Herecalledsomeexpressionofhisfriend，theDoctor，whichhadhithertoescapedhismemory，andhefoundthatallhispreviousexperimentshadbeenconductedonawrongbasis。Herecommencedthemnowwithrenewedenergy，andattheendoftheyearhadthesatisfactiontoseeallhistoilsrewarded。Onthe13thJanuary1382，saysLenglet，hemadeaprojectiononmercury，andhadsomeveryexcellentsilver。Onthe25thAprilfollowing，heconvertedalargequantityofmercuryintogold，andthegreatsecretwashis。
　　Nicholaswasnowabouteightyyearsofage，andstillahaleandstoutoldman。Hisfriendssaythat，bythesimultaneousdiscoveryoftheelixiroflife，hefoundmeanstokeepdeathatadistanceforanotherquarterofacentury；andthathediedin1415，attheageof116。Inthisintervalhehadmadeimmensequantitiesofgold，thoughtoalloutwardappearancehewasaspoorasamouse。Atanearlyperiodofhischangedfortune，hehad，likeaworthyman，takencounselwithhisoldwifePetronella，astothebestusehecouldmakeofhiswealth。Petronellareplied，thatasunfortunatelytheyhadnochildren，thebestthinghecoulddo，wastobuildhospitalsandendowchurches。Nicholasthoughtsotoo，especiallywhenhebegantofindthathiselixircouldnotkeepoffdeath，andthatthegrimfoewasmakingrapidadvancesuponhim。HerichlyendowedthechurchofSt。
　　JacquesdelaBoucherie，neartheRuedeMarivaux，wherehehadallhisliferesided，besidessevenothersindifferentpartsofthekingdom。Healsoendowedfourteenhospitals，andbuiltthreechapels。
　　Thefameofhisgreatwealthandhismunificentbenefactionssoonspreadoverallthecountry，andhewasvisited，amongothers，bythecelebratedDoctorsofthatday，JeanGerson，JeandeCourtecuisse，andPierred’Ailli。Theyfoundhiminhishumbleapartment，meanlyclad，andeatingporridgeoutofanearthenvessel；andwithregardtohissecret，asimpenetrableasallhispredecessorsinalchymy。HisfamereachedtheearsoftheKing，CharlesVI，whosentM。deCramoisi，theMasterofRequests，tofindoutwhetherNicholashadindeeddiscoveredthephilosopher’sstone。ButM。deCramoisitooknothingbyhisvisit；
　　allhisattemptstosoundthealchymistwereunavailing，andhereturnedtohisroyalmasternowiserthanhecame。Itwasinthisyear，1414，thathelosthisfaithfulPetronella。Hedidnotlongsurviveher；butdiedinthefollowingyear，andwasburiedwithgreatpompbythegratefulpriestsofSt。JacquesdelaBoucherie。
　　ThegreatwealthofNicholasFlamelisundoubted，astherecordsofseveralchurchesandhospitalsinFrancecantestify。Thathepractisedalchymyisequallycertain，asheleftbehindseveralworksuponthesubject。